Magic
Magic Magic was a supernatural force that did not follow the traditional laws of nature, which had many applications, such as creating and maintaining otherwise impossible geography, giving life to creatures that should not exist, and in centuries past, allowing creatures that should have been crushed by their own weight to move normally. This kind of magic was self-sustaining, although magic could be actively used by the Elfkin and the Dreadfolk, who used magic to improve their phyiscal capabilities and seemingly summon things out of thin air. It is arguably still used by the Dragons, who otherwise would not be able to fly or breathe fire. Amongst the Elfkin, the ability to wield magic died out in the 12th century, the last known user passing in 1198, although there was a brief resurgence during and just after the Nesarian Civil War. The Xaenis Queen also possessed magical ability, although not much is known about how her magic functioned. It is important to note that the users of magic called themselves mages and despised the term magician. Wielding magic physically and mentally fatigues the user. An average Elvish mage could continuously use battlefield-level magic for about one hour before needing to rest (depending upon the intensity of the magic), although the particularly skilled could go for as long as three hours. Not properly resting between periods of using magic left mages dangerously exhausted, and keeping up this practice for too long could begin to create mental issues such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia in the user. Mages who practiced magic intensely for a long time, typically about ten years, also began to fall onto the autism spectrum. Despite the negative mental effects, mages developed incredible stamina as a result of their cardio-vascular system being intensely worked during magic usage. Elfkin were born with a certain degree of magical ability, which could not be increased. They could learn to wield it more skilfully through training, however each person had a natural "power cap" which could not be surpassed, and this was different for everyone. While the strength of magical ability was inherited to some degree, the type of magic that a person could use appeared to be totally magic. All Elfkin possessed magical ability, however only about a third could use "active magic", whereas the rest could only use "passive magic". Active magic is defined as magic which was used consciously by the user, which required both significant physical and mental exertion. Passive magic is defined as magic used unconsciously by the user, which the user has no real control over. Active magic consists of conjuring up things (such as fire) and manipulating the environment, whereas passive magic consists of manipulating your own body to give yourself benefits such as a longer lifespan, better awareness and perception, and improved agility and dexterity. While Elfkin are typically relatively slim and weak, passive magic allowed them to be as strong as Humans or even stronger. Chaos Magic Dark Elves were able to draw power from the mere presence of certain emotions, collectively referred to as "chaos". The most famous example is the possibly historical figure of Kashita. Rage, hate, lust and ecstasy are emotions known to cause "chaos". It is completely unknown why or how Dark Elves were able to draw power from chaos, but many of them engaged in hedonism and sadism in order to increase their magical strength (again, the most famous example being Kashita). Types of Active Magic There were seven types of active magic, six of which could be wielded by Elfkin. They are listed below, in order of most common to least common. Fire It is not entirely known how the fire was created. Some scholars say that the Elves summoned a gas which they then ignited, however this does not explain how the fire clearly had some sort of mass - it could be congealed into a ball and thrown, and those who survived being attacked by fire all reported feeling a force, like a blow from a physical weapon. Fire could be summoned as a small flame, a jet of napalm-like fire or (as mentioned earlier) a ball which could be thrown. In combat situations, the jet of fire was used as a direct-fire ranged weapon, and the fireball was used as an indirect-fire ranged weapon. The fireballs were easy to throw long distances, with the record at approximately 110 metres. They also did not burn out in the air as they were thrown. The heat of the fire is unknown, but it was hot, able to quickly boil water and, with prolonged exposure, deform iron. Dousing the fire with water was largely ineffective unless there was a huge abundance of it, but dousing it with sand or dirt was very effective. Shield It is completely unknown how the shield was created, and most scholars have given up trying to find out. The shield was a transparent barrier tinted light blue, which rippled like water when struck. The more force was pushed against the shield, and the bigger the size of the shield, the more effort was required to keep it up. Several mages could combine their magic to create a large shield and sustain it for a long time. As long as the shield was kept up, it was impervious to all forms of physical and magical attack, and it was an extremely good heat insulator - however, more damage to the shield put more strain on the mage(s) supporting it, and an entire shield could shatter from one sudden powerful blow. The largest shield ever summoned had a surface area of 380 square metres, and most individual average mages could summon a shield with a surface area of up to 120 square metres. As more mages were added to a shield, the effect each new mage had on the shield got exponentially less, until the tenth mage made almost no impact at all - so to maximise efficiency, shields usually had no more than nine mages supporting them. Plasma Plasma was sometimes mistaken as fire magic, but it was very different. While fire magic summoned some kind of blazing mass, plasma magic summoned some kind of gas - it is unknown which, but often assumed to be hydrogen - which was then imparted with extreme heat and current to turn it into a super-hot plasma. As such, plasma magic did not have the same "mass" as fire magic. It was also shorter-ranged than fire magic and was more taxing on the mage to perform, but it was several orders of magnitude hotter than fire magic. Plasma magic could be used in two ways, academically referred to as dispersed and focussed, but usually referred to as "cloud" and "bolt" respectively. Dispersed (or cloud) plasma took the form of (as the name would suggest) a cloud of ionised gas, whereas focussed (or bolt) plasma resembled a lightning bolt. Dispersed plasma was cooler than focussed plasma as both the heat and current were less concentrated, but it was still significantly hotter than the flame produced by fire magic. Dispersed plasma also had a significantly shorter range than focussed plasma. While focussed plasma was both hotter and longer-ranged, its proper use had a much higher skill barrier, as not only was it simply a difficult technique but it was more difficult to aim accurately. Focussed plasma was also more draining for the mage to perform. Unlike fire magic, which burned at roughly the same temperature for all mages, the heat and the current passing through the plasma varied to a great degree between mages, although the distribution seems to have formed a bell curve, with the most common distribution of temperature being estimated around 1500 degrees at the centre of a cloud, or 2000-2500 degrees in a bolt. However, it is known that a select few mages were able to reach temperatures estimated to be in the low tens of thousands of degrees. The more powerful mages also had a stronger current running through their plasma, which produced a strong magnetic field. In addition, although the theory runs on the assumption that the stories are not merely myths, the most powerful mages wielding plasma magic (as well as the Titans who could use it) are believed to have produced plasma so hot and with such a strong current that it was capable of nuclear fusion. Plasma magic was exceptionally destructive, but it could be neutralised entirely by shield magic. Focussed plasma magic could also be stopped in its tracks by another bolt of focussed plasma magic, causing it to impact on the opposing bolt rather than on a surface, but dispersed plasma magic could not be stopped in this way. Influence While mind control was out of the question, some Elves could use magic to persuade people to take courses of action that they would normally not. However, the subject of the influence magic could not do something totally unacceptable such as murder a loved one or commit atrocities - it was only simpler, smaller acts which could be influenced, such as a policy decision or military strategy. It is often described as only being able to weaken the mind rather than break it. The tell-tale sign of influence magic being used was that the user's eyes faintly glowed purple while using it, which the target of the magic did not notice, but other onlookers could easily see. Those skilled in influence magic were usually impervious to it themselves. Some have proposed that the Xaenis Queen had incredibly powerful influence magic which allowed her to telepathically command the Xaenis. The possibly historical figure of Kashita also had extremely powerful influence magic. Air One of the rarest types of magic which only approx. 15% of the magical Elves possessed at any given time, air magic allowed mages to manipulate the flow of air. They could reduce or remove wind in a localised area, or create new wind. The most powerful air mages could create small tornadoes, however air magic was mostly used to create concentrated blasts of wind to knock enemies back and off their feet. With enough force, this blast of wind could act like a punch and deal serious blunt damage to an enemy. Air magic could also be used to launch projectiles, or give more speed to projectiles that had already been launched. Healing The majority of magical Elfkin possessed some level of passive healing magic, which would serve to speed up recovery from injury and illness, however someone who could wield this magic actively was a very rare occurrence. Such people also usually ended up very wealthy as their abilities were in extreme demand. Healing magic allowed the user to speed up the healing process for injuries. Healing magic could also function as a kind of life support, allowing those with severe and fatal wounds to survive. Although it could serve to heal any part of the body, it was most effective at repairing broken bones, able to fuse together two halves of a broken bone in just a couple of minutes, and fully reconstruct a completely shattered bone within half an hour. As well as dealing with wounds, healing magic could also be used to combat disease. Prior to modern medicine, healing magic was the only way to deal with blood poisoning (sepsis), and even then it was not guaranteed to work and it was a very intense process strung over several hours which would leave the mage exhausted for days afterwards. The more powerful healing mages who were educated in medicine could target specific diseases in specific ways, but most healing mages were only capable of bolstering the immune system, which would speed up recovery from a disease but not cure it outright. Healing magic could also be used to create various potions, a process known broadly as "alchemy" by many but only referred to as "enchanting" within magical circles. This is explained in greater detail in the "potions" section. Shadow Only found amongst the Lesser Demons and a few Greater Demons, shadow magic allowed the manipulation of shadows. The simplest and weakest expression of this magic was the alteration of existing shadows, which was used to distract or confuse enemies. However, its most useful feature was the ability to coalesce darkness into a physical object, which could be moved around at quite a distance from the demon as long as line of sight was maintained. These "shadow objects" could take the form of spikes that could be launched, tendrils to grab or trip enemies, and sometimes even weapons. The shadow objects, unlike shield magic, had a great deal of mass and were essentially impervious to damage while in darkness, but they could be greatly weakened or even disintegrated by strong light, particularly sunlight. Potions Healing magic could be used to create potions in a process known to the magical circles as "enchanting", but by virtually everyone else as "alchemy". The ingredients and technique to make the potions was a very closely guarded secret kept by the magical schools of Elavita, and this monopoly on information allowed the Elavitans to make a fortune out of selling the potions. However, the generic process is known; ingredients would be turned into liquid form (either by extracting liquid or turning the ingredient into powder and then mixing with water, usually water blessed by a priest) and then "blasted" with healing magic, then the ingredients would be mixed together and this concoction would be blasted again. This is why it was referred to as "enchanting", because the mages were essentially just enchanting ordinary ingredients with healing magic. The term "alchemy" was also associated with various pseudoscientific ideas which the mages wanted to distance themselves from. The most common of these potions was known by the imaginative name of the "healing potion", a watery potion which contained captured pure healing magic which was then released into the body once consumed. It came in three varieties known as "slow", "basic" and "aggressive", dyed pink, red and dark red respectively to ensure that they were not confused with each other. The slow healing potion, as the name implies, acted slowly over the course of about a full day, intended to heal wounds without leaving scar tissue and with minimal pain, and to help cure diseases without any risk of adverse side effects. The basic potion lasted for about two hours and sped up the healing process for wounds and bolstered the immune system. The aggressive potion was the fastest acting, its effects lasting for about ten minutes, and it healed wounds and attacked disease very quickly, but this process was excruciatingly painful - not only due to the sheer power of the magic but also because it kicked the immune system into such extreme overdrive that it began attacking healthy cells, leading to internal organ damage which was then healed again by the magic. The other most common potion was known by various names, usually something along the lines of "exertion potion", "stamina potion" or "endurance potion". This potion was fairly viscous and sticky, and dyed light orange. It was historically dyed white, before the colour was changed in approximately 200BC after the magical institutions got tired of the amount of jokes relating to the viscous sticky white liquid. This potion's effects lasted for around an hour and greatly improved the efficiency of the cardio-vascular system, and to some extent it could draw oxygen from the environment straight into the bloodstream, completely eliminating anaerobic respiration which slows or eliminates lactic acid build-up and slows muscle fatigue. A side effect of the increased blood-oxygen level is increased alertness, reduced tiredness and, to some extent, mitigating depression, which is why the potion was not only drunk for its endurance-improving effects but also by people who were simply tired or depressed. Military Applications Although magic often saw use in civil fields, its most obvious and significant impact was on the military capabilities of its users. Shields Shield magic was very effective at stopping magical projectiles, particularly fire and plasma due to the exceptional heat resistance of the shield. They were also effective at stopping shields and javelins, although the sudden force of an artillery projectile often threw lesser mages off balance and could immediately break through a shield - although the shield would still significantly slow down the projectile and divert its course. Shields were also extensively used in sieges, both to protect the attackers from enemy projectiles and to augment the walls of the defenders. Shield magic was often used to augment armour, although this could only be done for short periods of time due to the exertion caused by sustaining the shield. It was common practice to, just before a strike, throw up a small shield in the area, which may not entirely stop the strike but would at least slow it down. Shields were also wrapped around swords, which would make them unable to cut but would protect the sharp edge against damage when the sword needed to be used as a blunt force weapon, e.g. against armoured opponents. Very skilled mages could manipulate the shield into different shapes, effectively being able to turn their sword into a mace or hammer. Shields could also simply be used to augment punches, which would present a hard surface to the target rather than a comparatively soft hand. However, whole weapons were never made of shields due to the fact that they would have no weight and therefore almost no force behind them, they could only be used as blunt crushing weapons, and it was simply too much effort to sustain a shield with a tailored shape for any significant amount of time. Wind Archers The so-called Wind Archers were a combination of powerful air mages and skilled archers who used both their talents to great effect. They would use a bow to quickly get the arrow up to speed and pointing accurately, and then use the air magic to accelerate the arrow and keep it on course. The more powerful air mages could bend the course of the arrow, allowing them to shoot around corners or track a moving target. This way, arrows could be shot incredible distances, the furthest recorded kill this way occuring at nearly 1km, although this figure is disputed. Wind Artillery The so-called Wind Artillery was essentially an air-powered cannon developed during the Time of Troubles in the 10th century, following the same basic premise as the Wind Archers. Although devices with a similar concept had existed prior to this, and throwing projectiles with air magic had been a practice since time immemorial, the Wind Artillery did not become widespread until the Time of Troubles. Placing the projectile in a barrel and then shooting it out with a strong gust of wind had far superior accuracy to simply throwing a projectile with air magic, and the projectile could be shot with more force because the air magic could be more concentrated. Firearms During the magical resurgence of the Civil War, Elves found that they could use bursts of fire magic or highly controlled small bursts of plasma magic to ignite the powder in the barrel of a gunpowder weapon. Switching to this method rather than relying on locks had several key advantages: * As the powder was ignited by magic rather than a flint, there was no chance of the flint failing to make a spark and the powder would ignite every time * Production of the weapons was made simpler due to not needing a pan, lock or trigger, and there were no mechanical components to jam or wear out * The guns were less susceptible to misfiring from water Expanding upon the old concept of the Wind Artillery, air-powered guns were also introduced, using the same basic concept of a projectile shot out of a barrel with air magic, but in a handheld form. This had the advantage of not needing to rely on gunpowder at all, making them cheaper, easier to reload and effective even in very wet conditions, although wind magic could not produce as much power as a blast of gunpowder, making their muzzle speed and range inferior. Magical Disruptions Magical disruptions are seemingly random magical events that can have a variety of effects, ranging from manipulation of objects to the Affliction. Unlike normal magic, which only takes place in the Nesarian Empire, magical disruptions can happen anywhere in the world. They happen more frequently in areas with a greater density of magic use, and - when they still happened - could be controlled by magical Elves, who could sense them coming and stop them. However, major magical disruptions such as the Affliction could not be stopped. Since the death of magic in the 12th century, magical disruptions have become increasingly rare. Magical disruptions are likely explanations for the actions of what are thought to be poltergeists; spirits that, in short, throw things about to mess with mortals. Some Scholars say that the Xaenis (especially the Xaenis Queen) were created through a significant magical disruption, as there is no other possible way they could exist, given that their specific features could not feasibly come about from evolution, and no God or Gods would willingly create such monsters. What is Magic? There is no scientific consensus as to what magic actually is. There are two mainstream theories, with neither being significantly more accepted than the other. There is also a third theory, which is less commonly accepted and only popular amongst Elvetan fundamentalists. Energy Theory The Energy Theory states that magic is a type of energy which Elves could transfer into other types of energy, except that there is no way to turn other types of energy into magical energy, making it a finite resource which ran out in the 12th century. However, there is no explanation as to why and how the magical resurgence during the Nesarian Civil War happened, because the theory states that other types of energy cannot be turned into magical energy, which would make the magical resurgence impossible. It also does not explain the magical disruptions. Field Theory The Field Theory states that magic is a field which could be manipulated by Elves. There is, in this theory, no real explanation for what exactly magic is composed of, and most proponents of the theory state that the magical field is something we must simply accept as a basic concept in the same way as matter. The theory states that the magical field became slightly weaker each time it was used, and it became so weak in the 12th century that it became utterly powerless. The theory states that each time magic is used, it creates a wave in the field, and when these waves combine it creates magical disruptions. The theory also states that the magical resurgence during the Nesarian Civil War happened because several slow-moving centuries-old waves combined at once, creating a temporary magical rebirth. Elvetan Theory The Elvetan Theory states that magic is a gift which was given to the Elves and to the land the Nesarian Empire now occupies by the Gods, more specifically King Cetamucos. After the devastating War for Heaven, the Gods no longer trusted themselves with magic, and they relinquished control of it. This, combined with the death of the creator of magic, caused magical disruptions to happen, and also led to the slow decline of magic until it disappeared in the 12th century. However, the Gods, upon seeing the outbreak of the Nesarian Civil War, and knowing how destructive it would be, temporarily gave magic back to the Elves so that they could quickly bring peace. However, the prophets they had sent to explain their intentions were ignored, and the Elves used their magic selfishly, for their own interests rather than for bringing peace. After realising that the re-introduction of magic had only divided the Empire further, the Gods abandoned it for good, and it dissipated soon afterwards. Does Magic Still Exist? There is a fairly large and vocal minority of scholars and the general public who believe that, while the Elfkin lost the ability to wield magic, it is far from dead and there are still several remaining magic users who keep themselves well-hidden in the interest of keeping public order. Magic surely still works in some form, as the otherwise impossible geography, weather and biomes of the Empire's core region have sustained without trouble to this day. This first point is usually not denied by mainstream academia, but the second claim that magic users still exist is more disputable, as there is no conclusive evidence to prove it - merely a great deal of theorising and not necessarily related circumstantial evidence. Supporters of the idea that magic users still exist point primarily to Vesha Malos, wife of Stio Malos, a Lesser Demon. Since Lesser Demons are unaffected by age, and she is never recorded to have died, there is no reason to believe she is not still alive, along with other Lesser Demons who defected from the Dreadlands and decided to live in this universe - according to supporters of the theory. Similarly, there are many Succubi - another species of Dreadfolk unaffected by age - who struck a deal with the Imperial Inquisition in order to live in peace, and they are never recorded to have died so logically they must still be alive, again according to supporters of the theory.